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What I Love: The Conflicting Loves of an Entrepreneur Mom

When I was asked to write about “what I love” for Valentine’s Day, my mind immediately went to my girls, but then in a few other directions. I think this must be the plight of every mom out there, that we never have the time to dedicate ourselves 100% to our kids as well as to the other things we care about. This conflict always made me feel guilty and overwhelmed. However, laying it out here in terms of “what I love” made me feel so grateful for all that I have in my life to love.  So here goes.

What I love…

My girls

I love my girls. I love them in a different way today than I did the day they were born. I don’t know if this is because of the ages they have reached (4 and 6) or because I finally have a more reasonable work/life balance and am able to find time to truly focus on them. Whatever the reason, I love being around them these days. I love to hear every thought that comes out of my older one’s mouth, because it shows how her brain works and how she is starting to put complicated thought processes together. I love watching the joy my younger one gets when she discovers she can do something like get dressed by herself or make her older sister laugh. I sit on their beds at night and stare at them sleeping. And though I don’t wish I wasn’t working, I miss them all day, sometimes sneak home to see them at lunch, and run up the stairs at the end of the day. Nothing is more rewarding in life than opening the door and hearing “Mommy!” followed by big hugs and big smiles from my amazing girls.

My work at Sprout

I love my work. I love that we are doing something that is meaningful, and I believe that we are standing up for something important. We are helping to educate new families about harmful chemicals still lurking in consumer products and we are providing better alternatives. I love the opportunity to research and share what I learn with our customers. I love being a resource for new families, making them feel comfortable during an anxious time in their lives. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for people to leave their kids at home and go to a job that they don’t love. I feel incredibly grateful that I love my work.

My team at Sprout

I love the people I work with. I feel so lucky to have each of them as a part of our team. When people ask me how I manage to hold it all together, I only have one response. “I have wonderful people around me.” Every person here works above and beyond obligation. Our team cares about the mission of what we are doing and about our success as a company. Without this amazing group of self-motivated individuals we would not be where we are today. Their dedication motivates me to work harder for them so that I can continue to provide growth opportunities to the people who have worked so hard for it. I owe so much to our team, and I am so grateful to the people who have chosen to share this journey with me.

My family and friends

I love my family (parents, siblings, cousins) and friends (both old and new) who understand that my kids and Sprout have to come first for a while. Many of them are just as busy and overwhelmed in their own lives, and knowing this allows us to go months without speaking and still be able to pick up where we left off. Of course this is not ideal, and I miss those relationships a lot, but it is a part of the crazy lives we are living right now. I hope one day things will slow down, and I will be able to strengthen some of the relationships that time and geography have pushed to the background. In the meantime, please know that I love you and think of you often and so deeply appreciate the patience and understanding you show towards me these days.

My wonderful husband

And last, but absolutely not least, I love my husband. I am so lucky to have a partner in life that supports all of my dreams and pushes me towards them. I love how my husband loves our kids and enjoys spending time with them. I love that on the rare occasion when we have actual leisure time, we usually like to do the same things. I love that he is also trying to make the world a better place through his career. I love that I have someone I can stand next to and stare at our sweet sleeping girls, and our adorable dog, and know that we are both feeling the same thing, how incredibly lucky we are.